Haeran Ryu Leading into Final Day at BMW Ladies Championship

• Haeran Ryu leads the BMW Ladies Championship by four strokes .
• Hye-Jin Choi shot a 6-under 66 to share second place at 13-under.
• Minji Park (65) and Yuri Yoshida (68) are also tied for second.

Second-round leader Haeran Ryu began the day two clear. She made five birdies and a bogey then three straight birdies to close with a four-stroke advantage.

The double major winner this season missed one green on Saturday. She has hit 52 of 54 for the week, or 96.3 per cent, and is on course to challenge the LPGA Tour’s 72-hole record of 68 of 72, set by Nina Reis at the 2006 State Farm Classic. This is Ryu’s eighth time holding or sharing the 54-hole lead. She has converted three of the previous seven, including each of the last three.

Victory would be her third win of the season and sixth on the LPGA Tour, and her first at a tour event in her home country.

“It was softer than the last two days because a lot of rain. But putter better than last two days. We have one more round and tomorrow supposed to be rain again. So I just want more enjoying,” said Ryu.

Choi moves up leaderboard with strong start

Hye-Jin Choi made an eagle and seven birdies in her first 11 holes on a rain-soaked Saturday at Pine Beach Golf Links. She signed for a 6-under 66 and moved into a share of second place after three rounds of the BMW Ladies Championship.

The South Korean turned in 28 and was 9-under for the day when she found a fairway bunker at the par-5 12th and made bogey. The bigger blow came at the 17th, where her fairway wood ran into a hazard off the green and she made a double-bogey seven. Even so, she hit 17 of 18 greens and posted a second successive 66.

“I had a really good score on the front nine. I felt good about my ball-striking early on, so I was able to play confidently and make a lot of birdie putts, which helped. I’m a little disappointed with how I played on the back nine, but I’ll prepare well for the rest of the day and do my best,” said Choi.

Choi will play in the final group on Sunday for the second week running. Last week in Shanghai she led after each of the first three rounds and finished a stroke behind Ruoning Yin. She is still looking for a first win in 125 career LPGA Tour starts as a member. She has held or shared the 54-hole lead five times but has yet to convert one.

Park posts low round of the day

Minji Park produced the day’s best score, a bogey-free 65 with seven birdies. She has now gone 31 holes without a bogey and has hit 40 of 42 fairways, tied for the best in the field.

“The first round was the toughest because the wind was so strong. By the second and third rounds, I had a better understanding of how to play the course, and the weather was also better than it was on the first day,” said Park.

Yuri Yoshida, the first-round co-leader, made five birdies and a bogey in a 68. She has dropped only two shots all week and is one of five players with three rounds in the 60s.

Steady rain forced officials to clear the greens with roller squeegees, and most of the final groups needed six hours to finish their rounds.

Defending champion Sei Young Kim shot 77 and fell back to level par.

Related: The Sustainable Sport: Forrest Richardson interview

Golf course architect & author of 'The Sustainable Sport: How Golf’s Five Million Acres Benefit Our World'.

For the latest news in the golfing world, follow us on X.

BMW Ladies Championship Leaderboard